Former Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a “Never Trump” Republican, has lengthy been talked about by pundits as a potential candidate for president in 2024. He even obtained a flurry of media consideration for casting a write-in vote for Ronald Reagan in 2020.
However Hogan ruled out a presidential run because of issues about splitting the anti-Trump vote.
Now, he’s even additional away from a viable marketing campaign, because of turmoil in his workplace.
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Two days after former Hogan’s ex-chief of workers failed to look in courtroom to face trial on federal corruption costs, FBI brokers raided his Florida residence because the search continues for Roy McGrath.
McGrath, 53, was declared a wished fugitive after he disappeared Monday, leaving his lawyer, Joseph Murtha, standing alone on the steps of Baltimore’s federal courthouse.
Murtha stated he believed McGrath was planning to fly from Florida to Maryland on Sunday night time to look in courtroom Monday morning, however that didn’t occur. As a substitute of starting jury choice in accordance with the trial schedule, a decide issued an arrest warrant for McGrath and dismissed potential jurors.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Marshals Service introduced they have been launching an interstate manhunt for McGrath, who was indicted in 2021 on federal fraud costs.
He stole a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} from the state, together with a fraudulent $233,647 severance fee he obtained after leaving his place as government director of the Maryland Environmental Service to turn out to be Hogan’s chief of workers in June 2020, in line with a grand jury indictment. He additionally lied about working whereas he took a number of holidays and used state funds for private bills, the indictment says.
McGrath resigned from Hogan’s administration in August 2020 after information of his uncommon severance fee turned public. Following his arrest, McGrath was launched on bond. He was required to show in his passport as a situation of launch, his lawyer stated.
McGrath later moved to Naples, Florida, the place his spouse, Laura Bruner, watched their residence get raided by FBI brokers Wednesday morning.
Murtha, McGrath’s lawyer, confirmed the search in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon, saying brokers have been possible in search of something to point McGrath’s present whereabouts. An FBI spokesperson stated brokers “conducted court authorized activity at that residence” however declined to elaborate.
The U.S. Marshals Service issued a wished poster for McGrath on Tuesday.
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Murtha, who was not too long ago involved with McGrath’s spouse, stated she has been cooperating with authorities since his disappearance. She was current at their home Wednesday when brokers performed the search.
“She seemed upset and bewildered,” Murtha stated.
Murtha stated he had no purpose to imagine his consumer would skip out on courtroom. He stated that they had a substantive dialog concerning the case Sunday night. McGrath was alleged to board a aircraft later that night time, his lawyer stated.
“I haven’t a clue. I didn’t see this coming,” he stated. “This behavior is so out of the ordinary for him. Obviously his personal safety is a concern.”
McGrath was appointed by Hogan to function government director of the Maryland Environmental Service in December 2016. The state-owned company supplies environmental providers akin to water and wastewater administration to authorities entities and personal shoppers. In keeping with federal and state prosecutors, McGrath personally enriched himself by profiting from his positions of belief because the environmental company’s director and Hogan’s high aide.
He obtained the company’s board to approve paying him a $233,647 severance fee — equal to at least one yr’s wage — upon his departure as government director by falsely telling them the governor had already accepted the fee, in line with prosecutors.
In federal courtroom, the ex-staffer has pleaded not responsible to his eight costs, together with costs of embezzlement and wire fraud.
The Horn editorial group and the Related Press contributed to this text.
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